


Phone

by Eins_Esk



Category: Control (Video Game)
Genre: Edward Hopper - Rooms by the Sea, Emily being adorable, F/F, Fluff, I just wanted something nice for both of them, cellphone, it's Jesse x Emily if you squint, slight spoilers for The Foundation, that is the most calming painting I have ever seen, the lockdown is lifted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:54:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27450811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eins_Esk/pseuds/Eins_Esk
Summary: They can finally leave the Oldest House, the lockdown is lifted.Jesse and Emily head out together and Emily learns something about the new Director.
Relationships: Jesse Faden/Emily Pope
Comments: 10
Kudos: 69





	Phone

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to thank [podgle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/podgle/pseuds/podgle) for beta reading this story!

Emily and Jesse left the Bureau together for the first time after the lockdown was lifted. People were walking by, not noticing the building at all. Normally, an imposing building like this, tall and all concrete _without windows_ wouldn’t go unnoticed. Brutalism was very noticeable with its clear lines and angles.

“It’s so strange”, Jesse offered. “Nobody’s really looking at it. It’s as if there’s no building at all.”

“That’s the way the bureau protects itself, I guess.”

“I would never have found it, if it weren’t for Polaris.”

Emily nodded at that. The Oldest House has it’s ways. She remembered how confused she was when Dr. Darling first showed her the house. She was immediately intrigued when she noticed all the details about it. House shifts, Control Points. It was so wondrous, she thought she’d never get enough. Emily had wanted to know all about it, all about Objects of Power, of Altered Items. But she’d felt trapped as time progressed. As if she got stuck, and then the internal lockdown happened and Trench died and Dr. Darling vanished and… she was so glad Jesse came along. They’d still be in the shelter, awkwardly keeping quiet, without their new Director.

“Maybe it would’ve revealed itself to you. Nobody really knows how the Oldest House works.”

“The concept should be so hard to grasp but… I feel like this is normal. Like this is how it should be. It feels as if I always knew I’d find it.”

“You’re the Director. You were appointed by the Board, otherwise you would’ve died when you touched the Service Weapon”, Emily shuddered at that. “This is what you were destined to do. Hedron probably knew, maybe even Trench, after he saw what happened to your brother.”

“Yeah, maybe. I wonder why they never tried to get me.”

“There’s nothing in the files. Maybe they thought there was still time. I don’t know why they didn’t do it, but I’m glad they didn’t get you”, Emily said, touching Jesse’s arm as they walked. “They would’ve just hurt you. Even if they thought it was for the best.”

Jesse smiled at her. “You would’ve gotten me out, right?”

But Emily looked bitter when she answered. “I wouldn’t have known. I never knew about Dylan, remember? They had him right before our eyes, but their concealing tactic worked just fine. Nobody questioned Darling and Trench. Ever.”

“Don’t be hard on yourself, Emily. I’m sure you would’ve noticed, somehow”, Jesse said. “You’re too curious. But then you’d have had to flee with me, imagine that. You and me, on the road, fugitives”, she grinned, but became serious again. “I would’ve absolutely destroyed your career.”

“Well, that would’ve been worth it.”

They stopped at the subway station. It was foggy. The clouds hung low over the buildings of the city.

“Are you sure you want to take a hotel room? You can come with me, you know”, Emily said.

“No way. I’m not imposing when it’s the first day you can go back to your apartment.”

“I don’t mind, Jesse. Come on”, Emily tried to convince the Director.

“No, really. I’ll be fine.”

“For the record, this is a raincheck. I’m inviting you and I expect you to come”, said Emily and rolled her eyes. But she knew she wouldn’t be able to change Jesse’s mind today.

“Fine.”

“You know, now that we’re outside again”, Emily said, searching for something in her bag. “Cellphones will work again”, she said at last, holding up her phone triumphantly. “Wanna give me your number? I’ll call you tomorrow and we can grab breakfast in that little café I told you about.”

“Oh”, Jesse said, while Emily was looking at her expectantly. “I don’t own a phone.”

“Why?” asked Emily, lowering the hand in which she held her mobile. “I mean- it’s fine. I guess a lot of people don’t own one. It’s just… wouldn’t it be safer? Of course you can protect yourself, you’d probably not need anyone”, she rambled. “Sorry.”

It was Jesse’s turn to frown, now. “I just never had anyone to call, you know? Everyone we knew vanished into the slide projector. Dylan was gone and I- I don’t know. I just never bothered. I’ve never been in one place long enough to find friends and believe me, I wouldn’t want to call the ward, at all. Ever.” She chuckled somewhat awkwardly. “But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like to check out that café”, she quickly added. She did want to spend time with Emily, it wasn’t easy to be subtle about it. But at least it didn’t seem to be easy for Emily, either.

Emily pulled a notepad and a pencil out of her bag. “You can just call me from your room, tell me where you are, alright?”, she said, smiling at Jesse. She then folded up the paper, putting it into Jesse’s hand. “I’d like to know that you’re safe.”

“Alright. Thanks, Emily”, she said.

Emily stepped forward hesitantly, but seemed to make up her mind and embraced Jesse, before she turned around to take the stairs.

“See you, Emily.”  
“Later”, Emily said, making her way down the stairs to get her train.

* * *

Emily picked up at the second ring. “Jesse?”, she asked, because it wasn’t as if she had a bunch of friends waiting for her to come out of an office building no one ever really saw.

It could’ve been work, but she’d been fairly sure it wasn’t. Nobody wanted any trouble after the last few weeks. The Panopticon and all it contained was under control. Langston made sure nothing happened. No AWE occurred, but there were response teams ready, should anything indicate towards an Event. For some blissful days, she’d just researched. Emily had really just examined crystal samples and the red sand from the Foundation and she’d tried to produce a useful Black Rock knife, but hadn’t found the perfect thickness for the blade yet. She really hoped they could exist in peace for a while.

“Hey Emily, are you out?”, Jesse asked, because she could hear cars and people in the background. Before her lay the paper with Emily’s number on it. She had added her name in capital letters and a smiley face after it, making Jesse smile. Emily was just such a dork. An adorable dork.

“I am”, Emily answered, brightly but didn’t elaborate. “Where are you?”

Jesse smiled. “Believe it or not, but I am at the Oceanview _Hotel_.”

Her Head of Research snorted at that. “Are you actually near the ocean?”

“Not at all”, Jesse said and Emily could hear the smile in her voice. “They have pictures of the ocean, though. I couldn’t not check in, and it’s only until I find an apartment.”

“At least it’s not a motel. I’d fear for you, even if you’ve got the Service Weapon with you.”

“I do”, Jesse said, sitting down on the bed. The Service Weapon had no holster, but it stayed in position on her hip. She wasn’t sure if it was visible the whole time, but every time she reached for it, it was there. She could feel its weight, but it never got in the way. It was better this way, considering that she didn’t have a permit for this weapon.

“So, were there any light-switch appearances?”, Emily asked. She was definitely outside, walking.

“Nope. Where would it take me? Or do you think it might be jealous and would want for me to take a room in it?”

“Well, it would be interesting what room it would open for you, considering you’d be a high-class visitor.”

Jesse snorted, shaking her head even though Emily couldn’t see it. “Sure. Me, a high-class visitor. And you’re the actual Pope.”

“Well, you _are_ the Director.”

“Yeah, right. Let’s have this conversation later, when I actually have a permanent place to stay, alright? I’ll feel more like the actual Director, then.”

Jesse imagined Emily smiling, now. She could hear it in her voice when she answered. “Sure. Any other strange happenings? You seem to attract them, you know.”

“No. But I checked all the vending machines here… just to be sure.”

“Please, tell me you did not shoot vending machines in a public place.”

“I didn’t. I just… shook them a little. Lifted them, maybe.”

“For fuck’s sake, Jesse! Don’t do that!”

“Sorry”, she murmured. “But I swear no one was near when I did it, and it was just a few inches.”

Emily didn’t answer, but muttered something that sounded like ‘unbelievable’.

“I had to be sure!”, Jesse defended.

Emily sighed. “I’m glad that the hotel is safe and that there are no exploding vending machines anywhere near you. You deserve some peace and quiet, you know”, Emily said, at last. “Listen, I have to go now. Stay safe, Jesse. And thanks- you know, for letting me know where you are.”

“Sure, Emily. See you.” _Thanks for caring_ was what she’d like to add, but didn’t. Emily was, after all, the one forcing her to take breaks and to eat. It felt nice, having someone actually care. Not that she blamed the others, everyone just had their own life. It wasn’t their fault that she’d chased the Bureau, conspiracies (or were they?) and her brother for most of hers so that she hadn’t really done anything with it.

“Bye”, Emily said softly and hung up.

Jesse fell backwards onto the bed. She hadn’t slept well on the office couches and there’s always been some sort of emergency. Langston even made her chase a goddamned plastic duck. The bed was so much more inviting than she first thought. She hadn’t even taken off her shoes before she fell asleep right on the spot, lying halfway on the mattress while her feet were still on the ground.

She didn’t wake up until she heard insistent knocking on her door.

“I didn’t even order anything”, she muttered as she stumbled over to the door and ripped it open. None other than Emily Pope stood on the other side, smiling shyly.

“Hi”, she said, but her smile vanished immediately. “Did I wake you?”

“Might’ve fallen asleep for a while”, Jesse mumbled, self consciously brushing a hand through her now-messy hair.

“Oh- Jesse, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you. Shit, sorry.”

“Don’t worry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep, anyways. It just happened. Come in”, Jesse said and pulled the door open completely, so Emily could enter.

Her Head of Research had a backpack with her. She looked around herself. The room wasn’t too big, but it was quite comfortable. There was a bed, a small desk with a chair and two big windows on one side. And there was the picture of a room by the sea above the bed. Emily could see where the Director fell asleep, because there was a Jesse-shaped imprint on the comforter. She smiled a little bit at that.

“You wanna sit down? I can offer you… uh, the chair, or the bed”, Jesse said.

When Emily sat down on the bed, Jesse pulled the chair up to sit opposite of her. “So”, she said. “Is there a tracking device somewhere in the Service Weapon?”

“Oh, no. I just searched for Oceanview Hotels near the Oldest House. It was a fifty-fifty chance, by the way. There is one other hotel with this name within a reasonable distance from the FBC… sorry, this seems stalker-ish, right?”

“Don’t worry. Did Langston fuck up? Do I have to chase the goddamned duck again?”

“Uh- a duck? No. No, I don’t think so, this is not work-related.”

Jesse breathed out a relived _thank god_. “You know, it would’ve really sucked to have to get back to work, now that we’re outside again for once.”

“Absolutely. I bought something for you”, Emily said, shyly.

“Really?”, Jesse asked, grinning.

Emily rummaged around her backpack, before pulling out a wrapped box. “It didn’t feel right to have a present not wrapped”, she said. “Even though I have no idea when it’s your birthday.”

“January”, said Jesse, but didn’t offer a precise date. “Thank you, Emily.”

Jesse pulled the colorful paper apart, looking at the box. “You got me a phone?”, she asked, grinning.

“Yeah. And a sim card, of course”, Emily said. “You know- well, now you can always call me? Or anyone, really. It won’t work inside the Oldest House but… maybe we can meet up for coffee every once in a while, when we both have the day off? If you want, I mean. It’s just”, she sighed. “I just want you to know that you _do_ have someone you can call. So you need a phone, now, to do that”, she finished strongly.

Jesse stared at the box and then at Emily. “Thank you”, she said again, softly. “I think this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.” She stood up, then. “Come on, I want to hug you. Please.”

Emily obliged happily, hugging Jesse to her. They stayed like that for a long moment. Jesse enjoyed Emily’s scent, breathing her in. She was so full of life and knowledge and excitement. And softness. Jesse was so lucky to have it directed at her.

They both smiled when they broke apart. “You can always call, too. If you want”, Jesse added, pressing a kiss to Emily’s cheek, making the other woman smile brightly.  


“Thanks. You know, I don’t really have anyone to call, either.”

“Well, now you do. Do you have time? We can go out for dinner, so you can explain this to me”, she shook the box.  


“Of course. Come on, my treat.”

“Oh no, I don’t think so. You bought a phone for me, I’m treating you to dinner.”

Emily gave up easily. She was just glad that Jesse knew that she wasn’t alone anymore. She liked to be able to reach Jesse, or be reached by her on a bad day, or on a good one. Or anytime, really.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](https://tumblr.com/blog/einsesk) if you wanna hang out! :)  
> 


End file.
